— Thu, 20th May 2010 —

It’s always nice to see utilitarian, highly-functional, and dare we say “sensible” fabrics get their fair shake. Driven by what it calls the persisting “preppy trend” and the near exhaustion of denim, The New York Times reports that it’s khaki’s time to shine. “The appeal — at least in theory — is simple,” writesTimes reporter David Colman. “More dressed up than jeans without getting all fancy-pants, khaki can go to the office, then go to the dogs: the Eddie Haskell of clothing.” No, we don’t quite get the reference, either, but the point is obvious: Khakis are easy. Not too easy, mind you. Just like jeans, not all khakis are created equal. Unlike jeans, however, looking smart in khakis has less to do with their unique make than with the execution. “I get them pegged, wear them a little short and beaten up, make them a little rock ‘n’ roll,” Derrick Miller, co-founder of men’s accessories line Barker Black, tells The Times. Otherwise, says Miller, “They can be a little white bread.”